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this movie scene makes my heart pitter patter thump extra much wow! Buddy knew Santa as a person. He had a friendship, a love, a history with him. Buddy knew Santa’s favourite cookie, his shoe size, his lopsided smile and his endearing wink. Buddy’s reaction to the announcement of Santa’s coming says it all!

if the intercom of life bellowed “Jesus is coming back!” how would your heart respond? with winsome anticipation or distant ambivalence?

Jesus, I want to know you more! you paid my debt and saved my life and filled me with your endless love. thank you so much. I pray for every person to know that you are real and that you love them. this next year, may we know you as our best friend. always with us, always loving us. never changing. holy and beautiful. help us receive you like little children. like Buddy the elf! help us just be loved. reveal yourself to us, Lord. thank youuuu!<3

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my green eyes searched the rectangular reflection hanging on the back of my parent’s bedroom door.from hair to heel, I ripped myself apart like a leopard does prey, comparing myself to asparagus thin, pristine women on glossy magazine covers from the grocery store. that 2D woman, posed alluringly with little clothing, told me how to look. her motionless, plump, red lips spoke to me an ideal and an only—that I could look like her, or be ugly. my acne, pointy nose, fat on my thighs, drew the conclusion: I was not good enough. no matter how much foundation I caked on, or how long I spent frying my hair with a straight iron, I couldn’t cross the chasm of beauty. I saw what i wasn’t. steady corrosion eroded me into a thin blanket of apologies. I collapsed.

waking up in a thicket of emerald ferns feathering a forest floor…was not what I expected. roots poked out of the earth like half bridge knobs. ancient bark soared tall, seen it all—laughter and tears, death and love. people who pined, searching their lifetime, the world over, for peace. that sometimes dull, sometimes screaming desire. starving, pain. universal earth ache. throbbing to be noticed, asking “do you love me?”

the dancing leaves and towering trees spoke testament: cosmic turmoil contained in every flesh tent. I knew it well. craving but never relieved. burning for more; born with flames tickling myheart. a “do you love me?” echoed through the forest, through my lifetime. men came and went. one stayed for life. still I hungered. I searched—under clouds and stones, behind trunks and waterfalls, in human hands. nothing. who could whole this furious, yearning hole?!

a mere shadow of life, I crumpled under the tree canopy.

a crimson droplet cascaded through the leaves, dripped on my nose, drew my eyes up. life rain, love reigning. God sacrificed Himself, bloodied, beaten, killed by those He formed and desired. life for life. this God took my place, created a way for my wayward heart to be welcomed home! oh what LOVE! how could it be? tentative and aware of my stains, I timidly crouched under a fern. hiding. wishing. wondering. he beckoned me. me?? incredulous, i stayed hidden. already seen, fully known, yet totally loved. how?! such outrageous love seemed unreal.

yet, the love soaked me, sang my missing note, completed my puzzle. i was inside out, upside down, undone in the presence of soul saturating desire so passionate and sacrificing. I knew: I am LOVED. drawn out of hiding, led into light. that second of rapturous delight transformed me. forever clean. thank you Jesus.

woke up new on the shag carpet bedroom floor. once puddle but now sunrise, I beamed. a cross hammered hand reached down for me. set me free, loved me from scalding burns and tornado turns to healing and a whole heart.

looking into that same mirror, I reflect the forest. the soft ferns and gentle breeze found in my hair and graceful nose. Love found me.

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A poem prayer for people today–people you and people me. People us. People not us. People all. Singing together to the Maker of people. People: Designed to dance. Made to praise. People = lost outside the original design. People us cannot be found until we’re lost. We find our life when we lose ourselves in the Conductor of creation.

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Life is choices. Every moment we choose. What do our choices say about what we love? What does our life say about what we believe? If someone only observed, not heard, you, what would they conclude?

True belief is manifested in action, not just words. If you hear an earthquake is going to hit this time tomorrow, but you don’t do anything to prepare, you would show denial. Your actions say you don’t believe an earthquake is imminent. However, if you act on what you heard by preparing for an emergency (rushing to the store to buy jugs of water and canned food, withdrawing cash from your bank account, calling loved ones, etc.), your actions demonstrate your faith that what you heard is true. In the same way, when we obey Christ, we demonstrate faith. When we disobey Christ we demonstrate doubt. The most bizarre thing would be to say you believe the earthquake is coming but not to do anything. Many people live this way. They may call themselves a Christian but their lives deny Christ. The Bible says faith without action is dead.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.
James 2:14‭-‬26

Faith shows belief. There is no faith without action.

The grace of God is God choosing us despite our rebellion. It’s God giving us favor when we deserve wrath. Grace is God sending Jesus to bear our punishment for sin. Grace is the gift. Faith is how we receive this gift.

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8‭-‬9

We can choose God because He first chose us. It is only through surrendering to Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit that we can live a life pleasing to God!

Choices are building blocks. Each tiny choice counts. The moment to moment choices comprise a life. The biggest choice we are faced with is whether we believe God or not. God gives us the choice to choose Him or deny Him because He loves us. To believe in or to deny His Son.

Choosing Jesus is not a one time choice. It’s not praying a prayer once. It’s a lifestyle of faith. Faith is choosing to believe God.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1

If we were forced to love God, it would be no love at all. Our choosing God over other lesser things shows our love for Him. Like in the garden of Eden, where God gave Adam and Eve the choice to eat the forbidden fruit or not, God gives us choices to test us. To show if our love for Him is truly genuine or not.

Choices are the voice of our lives. What we choose says what we believe. What are your actions speaking?

It’s not too late to let God change your story. Every little choice counts. Choose to trust Jesus. Continue to choose Him every day through obedience to His Word and His Spirit.

Choose wisely. Live with intention. Don’t loose the chance to choose the God who chose you through the cross. If there’s breath in your lungs, there’s a chance to choose rightly.

Let go. Trust Jesus. Be free. Grace says it’s not too late for you.

You have been chosen. Will you believe?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:3‭-‬5